Google Releases Android 4.1 SDK

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Google Releases Android 4.1 SDK

Posted by timothy on Thursday July 19, 2012 @08:14AM from the on-their-dentist's-advice dept.

hypnosec writes "Google has released the full SDK for its latest edition of Android, Jelly Bean, which was unveiled during Google I/O. Google has already released the source code of Jelly Bean earlier. Google announced through a blog post that developers can develop application against the API level 16 using the new Jelly Bean APIs. Developers would be able to develop apps that will run on Nexus 7 tablets. Jelly Bean is touted as one of the best from Google and it promises a smoother and more responsive UI across the system."

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Cart before the horse? by carlhirsch · 2012-07-19 08:19 · Score: 1

Wouldn't it have been traditional for them to make the SDK available before the OS dropped, to make sure there was a base of current apps in place when devices started shipping?
I can only imagine the SDK was available to certain select developers for months, while the Nexus 7 was in testing and such-like.

--
. We've got computers, we're tapping phone lines, you know that ain't allowed - Talking Heads, "Life During Wartime"
1. Re:Cart before the horse? by P-niiice · 2012-07-19 08:27 · Score: 1
  
  I think that would have been best, but Google probably wanted to get it to retail well before the new Kindle Fire.
  
  Also, consider that this device has access to entire Android market ( the Fire is severely limited in comparison) - Google probably felt the existing Market is good enough until devs get things rolling.
2. Re:Cart before the horse? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 08:31 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  This is confusing. The Jelly Bean SDK has been out for a while now (since around Google IO). The "blog" link is wrong (correct url: http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2012/07/getting-your-app-ready-for-jelly-bean.html). My dev tools already had API 16 installed and the Google APIs are the only thing that saw any updates (rev 2).
3. Re:Cart before the horse? by Bill_the_Engineer · 2012-07-19 08:35 · Score: 2
  
  The release order changed when Google's need to give certain manufacturers exclusive early access outweighed the community's need to have the SDK prior to the OS release. This isn't that much of an impairment for most developers, and it's a cheap incentive to win over some hardware manufacturers.
  However it is funny how the two closed source mobile operating systems give their developer base early access to their upcoming SDKs.
  
  --
  These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
4. Re:Cart before the horse? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 08:39 · Score: 0
  
  Only people for whom it matters are the Nexus owners.. everybody else will get 4.1 in a year or so.
5. Re:Cart before the horse? by Decker-Mage · 2012-07-19 08:43 · Score: 1
  
  Wouldn't it have been traditional for them to make the SDK available before the OS dropped, to make sure there was a base of current apps in place when devices started shipping?
  I can only imagine the SDK was available to certain select developers for months, while the Nexus 7 was in testing and such-like.
  One would presume so but my, admittedly non-Android, developer impression is that this was a thoroughly 'Black Project', so the only devs with a 'Need-To-Know' would have been at ASUS. Of interest to me is how much tablet manufacturer and developer uptake occurs now that it is out, not that this is a major issue. I would buy it right now, warts and all, without either occurring, which marks a first in the tablet market to date.
  
  --
  "[I]t is a wise man who admits the limits of his knowledge or skill, and that pretending either causes harm." --Terry Go
6. Re:Cart before the horse? by sexconker · 2012-07-19 08:45 · Score: 1
  
  Paying horse before the cart before the free people chained up at the back
  The latest version of Android is closed for 6 months unless you pay out the ass, launch a Nexus branded device, or agree to lock people in to Google's services.
  By the time the SDK comes out and the latest version is opened up, the next significant release is already in alpha.
7. Re:Cart before the horse? by Qwavel · 2012-07-19 08:51 · Score: 2
  
  Actually, there was a beta of the SDK that was released during the IO conference - so prior to the Nexus 7 becoming available.
  But I do have concern about the general beta quality of all of their stuff (actually I think that Android 4.0.0 was more like alpha).
  I'm pleased that, so far, my Nexus 7 seems to be very solid. Hopefully this means they are starting to focus more on quality.
8. Re:Cart before the horse? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 08:53 · Score: 0
  
  This. Google has been screwing customers over by limiting which partners get code.
9. Re:Cart before the horse? by flabordec · 2012-07-19 08:57 · Score: 1
  
  Well, them and CyanogenMod users and developers which I would want to believe is a large-ish group.
  
  --
  "I see undead people" Warcraft III - Necromancer
10. Re:Cart before the horse? by Hognoxious · 2012-07-19 08:59 · Score: 2
  
  Perhaps they needed to run it past their lawyers to check that Apple hadn't patent if or case statements.
  
  --
  Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
11. Re:Cart before the horse? by Reapman · 2012-07-19 09:19 · Score: 2
  
  I've had the SDK installed since Google I/O - this is just a "final" revision to it. Really, not that big of a news item. I've gotten tons of updates on my phone that appear to be JB related - which is probably just the dev's targeting this release and testing it still works (And fixing what's required, which was probably pretty minimal)
12. Re:Cart before the horse? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 10:21 · Score: 0
  
  Cry more.
13. Re:Cart before the horse? by idontgno · 2012-07-19 10:26 · Score: 1
  
  If the Oracle case is any indication, the existence of the patent wouldn't stop Google, and the invalidity of the patent wouldn't stop Apple (like it didn't stop Oracle).
  There isn't stopping patent litigation any more than there's stopping street mugging. If you look like something the thug wants, and the thug thinks he can take you, there's gonna be trouble. And in the tech IP world, there are no "safe neighborhoods" except maybe the EU.
  
  --
  Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
14. Re:Cart before the horse? by grouchomarxist · 2012-07-19 12:35 · Score: 2
  
  Yeah, this is just rev. 2 of the 4.1 SDK. The title and summary are highly misleading.
15. Re:Cart before the horse? by ZosX · 2012-07-19 14:21 · Score: 1
  
  i have a transformer tablet running ics 4.04. It seems solid enough. It is easily as reliable as cyanogen 7 on my phone. the only issue I have had is with apex launcher, which the latest update seems to want to crash and force me to wade through to the applications from the settings menu and close it. Oh well. Really, I've had no complaints. I just wish everything worked. Lots of games for 2.x phones don't want to work. (Gameloft...looking at YOU) Tegra 3 should play everything on the market flawlessly, but many, many games won't work. Also the applications that are optimized or designed for tablets are pretty far and few between. Since these things are selling like hotcakes now, and ICS is on everything, hopefully the devs will pick up the slack. Android is the largest market, so good things are coming. FWIW, all of the x.0 releases have introduced massive changes from 1.5 ---> 2.0 ---> 3.0....its the point releases, much like 2.1, 2.2, 2.3....3.1...4.1...that fix a lot of the bugs. Android is best experienced after they fine tune new versions and optimize them. I imagine that 4.1 is much more optimized than 4.0 and I really look forward to getting it either via OTA or eventually a cyanogen port. The ASUS firmware is decent actually once you root and strip out the bloatware (and there isn't much). A free version of splashtop is really cool too.
  
  --
  zosxavius photography
16. Re:Cart before the horse? by stephanruby · 2012-07-19 14:26 · Score: 2
  
  Wouldn't it have been traditional for them to make the SDK available before the OS dropped, to make sure there was a base of current apps in place when devices started shipping?
  The base of current apps was already there.
  A 4.1 Android phone can run any app 1.5 and onward.
17. Re:Cart before the horse? by ozmanjusri · 2012-07-19 15:26 · Score: 1
  
  everybody else will get 4.1 in a year or so.
  I doubt it - most good vendors and carriers are preparing for 4.1 rollouts already.
  Even Telstra looks like they'll play ball, which is a remarkable achievement...
  http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/mobile-phones/smartphones/
  
  --
  "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
18. Re:Cart before the horse? by Rich0 · 2012-07-19 23:35 · Score: 2
  
  Well, eventually 99% of the devices will run ICS or later, so time spent developing for it is never going to be a "waste."
  However, WHEN you should develop for it is a different matter. An app that REQUIRES ICS is only going to be commercially successful maybe a few months from now when a fair number of phones actually run it - and ICS is already nine months old.
  It seems like adoption follows release by around a year or so with Android. Don't get me wrong, I love android, but lack of updates is maddening. I'm actually looking to upgrade my current phone but wouldn't consider anything on sale now. I can either get a Galaxy Nexus which is 9 months old and will probably only see at most one more OS update from Google, or something like a Galaxy S3 which has great hardware, but which probably will get Jelly Bean sometime but likely nothing after that. Being better hardware I suspect that somebody will hack together later OS releases for it, though likely with bugs on the camera/etc and a generally frustrating experience. Then again, it has gotten to the point where most of the big Android modders have just moved to Nexus devices and tend to get new ones every year, so not even the modding community is doing that great a job with older phones now.
  I guess I'll just hold off until the next generation of Nexus comes along, and hope I like whatever choices are offered. Feels like Apple, ugh...
It's been out for weeks. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 08:21 · Score: 0

Awesome timeliness, Slashdot.
1. Re:It's been out for weeks. by HacTar · 2012-07-19 09:04 · Score: 2
  
  The article is wrong. Android 4.1 SDK has been released three weeks ago
Malicious site? by chill · 2012-07-19 08:25 · Score: 1

Interesting. The first link is blocked by my work filter as a "malicious site". Normally I can click thru the blocked stuff but this one won't let me. I think it thinks that site is hosting malware.

--
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
1. Re:Malicious site? by na1led · 2012-07-19 08:30 · Score: 1
  
  Worked fine on ForeFront TMG Proxy filter.
  
  --
  -- By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.
2. Re:Malicious site? by Decker-Mage · 2012-07-19 08:50 · Score: 1
  
  Probably has to do with this crap on Parity News:
  
  Your experience on this site, will be improved by allowing cookies - see details
  Social media Facebook, Twitter and other social websites need to know who you are to work properly.
  Analytics We anonymously measure your use of this website to improve your experience.
  Allow for all sites
  Allow cookies
  It's pretty vanilla social media crap.
  
  --
  "[I]t is a wise man who admits the limits of his knowledge or skill, and that pretending either causes harm." --Terry Go
No Flash...No Point by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 08:29 · Score: 0

Without flash a lot of media sites are unusable. Until this is resolved, I feel that upgrades will be slow. Google has under-estimated the power of Flash when it comes to user's choice of platforms.
1. Re:No Flash...No Point by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 09:03 · Score: 0
  
  Adobe creates Flash, not Google, and they're the ones who decided not to bother developing Flash Player for Android any more. What are they supposed to do?
2. Re:No Flash...No Point by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 09:12 · Score: 0
  
  backwards compatibility comes to mind.
3. Re:No Flash...No Point by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 09:16 · Score: 1
  
  Indeed, and if you sideload the Flash Player apk file it works fine. Adobe just decided to stop further development and pull it from the store.
4. Re:No Flash...No Point by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 18:52 · Score: 0
  
  Negotiate with adobe? Offer them money? Some sort of partnership where they pledge to keep flash going on android for a while?
  Offering to have their own employees mantain it(with NDAs and source code owned by Adobe)?
5. Re:No Flash...No Point by ProbablyJoe · 2012-07-19 22:53 · Score: 1
  
  It's not available on the Play store in JB, or installed by default, but you can still install the APK manually, and it still works in browsers that support it. (Firefox, Opera, Dolphin. Not sure if the stock browser still does on JB)
  Besides, if people cared about Flash that much then the iPhone/iPad wouln't be so popular. It's nice having the option of Flash on my phone, but I didn't even realise until last week that I didn't have it installed, after having my current phone for 3 months. It's rare that I have a need for it on my phone.
Google released the SDK at IO by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 08:30 · Score: 1

What kind of article is this? The SDK was ALREADY RELEASED at I/O.
Maybe now they can spend time fixing the Nexus 7. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 08:35 · Score: 0

..because it looks like a disaster. Display doesn't fit flush with bezel, backlight bleed, frequent lag, crashing and some DOA.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1770919&page=44
Re:Maybe now they can spend time fixing the Nexus by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 08:56 · Score: 0

XDA is full of whining any time any new device comes out, every time.
Re:What a stupid name for an OS by MachDelta · 2012-07-19 09:13 · Score: 1

You do know that android releases are named after desserts/treats in alphabetical order, right? Last release was I (ice cream sandwich), this was J (jelly bean), next is K (Key lime pie). I can't think of too many treats that aren't brand names and begin with J.
Next OS by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 09:18 · Score: 0

When is Twinkie or Beef Jerky supposed to be released?
Re:What a stupid name for an OS by x181 · 2012-07-19 09:29 · Score: 1

The days of Android are numbered. Once they hit 'Zucchini Lemon Muffins' they will have nowhere else to go.
Re:Maybe now they can spend time fixing the Nexus by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 09:33 · Score: 0

and for what it's worth, i got my preorder on Tuesday and have not had one issue with anything working or any of the other issues that some people are said to have. I unlocked and rooted yesterday without issue.
Re:What a stupid name for an OS by vux984 · 2012-07-19 09:57 · Score: 1

The days of Android are numbered.Once they hit 'Zucchini Lemon Muffins' they will have nowhere else to go.
OSX will run out of cool wild cats before Android runs out alphabet.
OSX Ocelot FTW
Re:What a stupid name for an OS by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 10:06 · Score: 0

Serval.
Have they fixed the simulator speed? by devleopard · 2012-07-19 11:36 · Score: 2

That thing is horribly slow.

--
The best thing about a boolean is even if you are wrong, you are only off by a bit.
1. Re:Have they fixed the simulator speed? by grouchomarxist · 2012-07-19 12:31 · Score: 2
  
  Launch speed is still slow, but there is now Intel support for the emulator so it runs faster. Also released today is rev. 2 of the "Intel Hardware Accelerated Execution Manager" which may include some performance enhancements.
  http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/intel-hardware-accelerated-execution-manager/
2. Re:Have they fixed the simulator speed? by ZosX · 2012-07-19 14:24 · Score: 1
  
  There's not much they can do, short of writing a better ARM VM. You want it to emulate ARM so you can test native code.
  
  --
  zosxavius photography
3. Re:Have they fixed the simulator speed? by ZosX · 2012-07-19 14:27 · Score: 1
  
  I meant to add that you could just get a device and use that to test your code. That would be how most devs do it. I think google might still sell a dev phone to you if you ask nicely.
  
  --
  zosxavius photography
4. Re:Have they fixed the simulator speed? by kllrnohj · 2012-07-19 16:35 · Score: 1
  
  That's been way faster for a while. Try the Intel x86 ones (which are very fast), or the GPU acceleration option for the ARM ones.
5. Re:Have they fixed the simulator speed? by 7o9 · 2012-07-19 19:13 · Score: 1
  
  I do not think there is a Jelly Bean version of the Intel_x86 system image yet. The newest seems to be an Android 4.0.4 version. Hopefully there will be a JB 4.1.1 system image soon as working with the Intel_x86 emulator is very fast.
And don't get me started on freakin' Gummi Worm! by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · 2012-07-19 18:14 · Score: 1

GOD DAMN IT!
My droid hasn't even self-upgraded to Cherry Pop Tart With Icing, yet. >:-(

--
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
Old Horses and New Carts by Taco+Cowboy · 2012-07-19 18:45 · Score: 1

While the Jelly Bean supposed to be for gadgets that have yet to reach market, hundreds of millions of older Android Devices are already at the hands of the consumers
My question is - is it hard for average geek to install Jelly Bean on older crop of Android Devices ?

--
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
1. Re:Old Horses and New Carts by ciderbrew · 2012-07-19 21:40 · Score: 1
  
  I had and old HTC desire which I "upgraded". It ran hotter than ever after and eventually died. I have the Galaxy Nexus which I can use as a hand warmer in the winter after a bit of use. These bits of kit seem to be made for the version they are released with, little more.
2. Re:Old Horses and New Carts by ProbablyJoe · 2012-07-19 22:44 · Score: 1
  
  Well, yes and no. You can't just take the code they've released and put it on your phone, since that lacks a lot of the hardware drivers and such that are needed to make it compatible with each phone. It's possible for developers to get it to work on most phones, but it takes some time. At the moment, pretty much the only phones which you can put a fully functioning Jelly Bean ROM are the Nexus phones. A lot other recent phones have already got people working on JB ROMs, and many of them have beta versions already, but most of them have problems with various things (eg camera, wifi, audio not working). Chances are they'll get it working before the manufacturers actually release updates.
  Once there is a ROM available though, the process of installing it is pretty simple for most devices. Anything that could run ICS should be able to run JB, assuming people are able to port it.
Re:What a stupid name for an OS by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 20:44 · Score: 0

Not if they start using extended ascii.
Re:What a stupid name for an OS by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-19 21:02 · Score: 0

In all fairness, as a linux enthusiast, a small hard kernel of food makes perfect sense to me. However, as a consumer, it still sounds bad. Honeycomb and Ice cream sandwich are both multifacted food items -- in line with the wonderful variety of the android world. However, "jelly bean" is what I'd call an OS that goes on a dumb phone -- and only does one thing, but does it well.
I agree that it is hard to find deserts that start with the letter J. I couldn't find any, when I googled. I just think that they should have tried harder.
How about Nordic wordlists? by the_arrow · 2012-07-20 00:00 · Score: 1

That the 4.1 release is out is all good and well, but I'm still waiting for the Swedish wordlist for my 4.0 Galaxy Nexus. Much can be said about Apple, but at least the think about the customers in a way Google apparently never will.

--
/ The Arrow
"How lovely you are. So lovely in my straightjacket..." - Nny
Re:Maybe now they can spend time fixing the Nexus by jbonomi · 2012-07-20 01:45 · Score: 1

Mine has none of these issues. There does seem to be some weirdness with the touch screen when the screen is awakened by something other than the power button, but that seems like something that can be fixed with a software update. In general, I really like the device.